At the end of April, MarketsandMarkets published a report titled “Automated Guided Vehicle Market by Type (Unity Load Carrier, Tow Vehicle, Pallet Truck, Assembly Line Vehicle), Industry Verticle (Automotive and others), Application (Transportation, Distribution and others), and Geography — Global Forecast to 2020,” which stated the automated guided vehicle (AGV) market is expected to reach $2.2 million by 2020, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 9.8 percent between 2014 and 2020.

A facility that contains packaged product, equipment and people has been called many things; however, that big “barn” generally is referred to as a warehouse. These facilities also will vary in size, layout and capabilities.

Last year was a record year for automated guided vehicles (AGVs), with AGV system sales reaching $140 million, according to the Material Handling Institute (MHI).

Vacuum Barrier Corp. added the EasyDose G2 Lite to its Nitrodose portfolio of liquid nitrogen injection systems.

In the interest of creating a more efficient warehouse, reducing cost, and improving speed, 74 percent of warehousing, manufacturing and distributing professionals surveyed last fall by the MHI Automation Alliance said they are planning or considering an automated project for their facility, according to MHI, Charlotte, N.C.

As beverage companies look at ways to automate warehouse facilities, equipment manufacturers say that more beverage-makers are looking to automated guided vehicles (AGVs). The Automatic Guided Vehicle Systems Industry Group of the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) stated in its fall 2010 quarterly report titled “New Paths for Guided Vehicles” that automation today is more flexible and more accommodating to changing operational requirements.